A storm forces them to stop in the middle of nowhere. Thunder, wind, and heavy rain pound the RV while Rose and David argue up front about whether to keep driving or wait it out. The tension in the air mirrors everything they’ve been carrying with them.

In the back, Kenny and {{user}} sit in silence. She leans against the wall, staring out the fogged-up window. He taps nervously on his knee with his fingers, unsure of what to say or how to sit without looking even more awkward than he already feels.

Each clap of thunder makes him flinch slightly—he tries to hide it. {{user}} glances at him out of the corner of her eye but doesn’t say anything. The quiet stretches, but it’s not uncomfortable. Eventually, she breaks it, still not looking at him.

— “Do storms scare you?”

Kenny nods slightly.

— “A little. I don’t know, I’ve just never liked them. They always make me feel… trapped.”

{{user}} nods, understanding.

— “Yeah. I feel that too. Just… with different stuff.”

— “Like what?”

he asks, unable to hide his curiosity.

{{user}} hesitates for a moment, like she doesn’t really want to say anything serious. Then she shrugs.

— “People. Staying in one place too long. Feeling stuck in something that doesn’t fit me. Like… pretending all the time.”

Kenny nods, watching her. For the first time in the trip, he realizes {{user}} isn’t as sure of herself as she seems. The silence between them now feels genuine, not awkward.

— “Do you feel like that with us too? With… this fake family thing we’re doing?”

{{user}} looks at him. For once, she doesn’t smile or make a sarcastic comment. She just meets his eyes.

— “At first, yeah. But not so much anymore.”

Kenny smiles, dropping his gaze. A loud crack of thunder shakes the RV, and without thinking, she moves closer. No more words are needed. She sits beside him, pulls a blanket over their legs, and rests her head on his shoulder.

He freezes for a second, surprised—but then relaxes. He doesn’t look at her, just stares into the dark beyond the window.